Story of the beginning of the Caliphate of ‘Uthmán, may God be well-pleased with him, and his sermon expounding that the doer who exhorts by deeds is better than the speaker who exhorts by words.

قصه‌ی عثمان که بر منبر برفت ** چون خلافت یافت بشتابید تفت

The story (told) of ‘Uthmán is that he mounted the pulpit: when he obtained the Caliphate, he made hot haste (to mount it).

منبر مهتر که سه‌پایه بدست ** رفت بوبکر و دوم پایه نشست

(’Twas) the pulpit of the Chief (Mohammed), which had three steps: Abú Bakr went and seated himself on the second step.

بر سوم پایه عمر در دور خویش ** از برای حرمت اسلام و کیش

‘Umar, in his reign, (sat) on the third step in order to show reverence for Islam and the (true) Religion.

دور عثمان آمد او بالای تخت ** بر شد و بنشست آن محمودبخت490

(When) the reign of ‘Uthmán arrived, he, that man of praised (blessed) fortune, went up on to the top of the throne (pulpit) and seated himself.

پس سالش کرد شخصی بوالفضول ** که آن دو ننشستند بر جای رسول

Then a person given to idle meddling questioned him, saying, “Those two did not sit in the Prophet's place:

پس تو چون جستی ازیشان برتری ** چون برتبت تو ازیشان کمتری

How, then, hast thou sought to be higher than they, when thou art inferior to them in rank?”

گفت اگر پایه‌ی سوم را بسپرم ** وهم آید که مثال عمرم

He replied, “If I tread on the third step, it will be imagined that I resemble ‘Umar;

بر دوم پایه شوم من جای‌جو ** گویی بوبکرست و این هم مثل او

(And if) I seek a seat on the second step, thou wilt say, ‘’Tis (the seat of) Abú Bakr, and (therefore) this one too is like him.’

هست این بالا مقام مصطفی ** وهم مثلی نیست با آن شه مرا495

This top (of the pulpit) is the place of Mustafá (Mohammed): no one will imagine that I am like that (spiritual) King.”

بعد از آن بر جای خطبه آن ودود ** تا به قرب عصر لب‌خاموش بود

Afterwards, (seated) in the preaching-place, that loving man kept silence till near the (time of the) afternoon-prayer.

زهره نه کس را که گوید هین بخوان ** یا برون آید ز مسجد آن زمان

None dared to say “Come now, preach!” or to go forth from the mosque during that time.

هیبتی بنشسته بد بر خاص و عام ** پر شده نور خدا آن صحن و بام

An awe had settled (descended) on high and low (alike): the court and roof (of the mosque) had become filled with the Light of God.

هر که بینا ناظر نورش بدی ** کور زان خورشید هم گرم آمدی

Whoever possessed vision was beholding His Light; the blind man too was being heated by that Sun.

پس ز گرمی فهم کردی چشم کور ** که بر آمد آفتابی بی‌فتور500

Hence, by reason of the heat, the blind man's eye was perceiving that there had arisen a Sun whose strength faileth not.

لیک این گرمی گشاید دیده را ** تا ببیند عین هر بشنیده را

But this heat (unlike the heat of the terrestrial sun) opens the (inward) eye, that it may see the very substance of everything heard.

گرمیش را ضجرتی و حالتی ** زان تبش دل را گشادی فسحتی

Its heat has (as effect) a grievous agitation and emotion, (but) from that glow there comes to the heart a joyous (sense of) freedom, an expansion.

کور چون شد گرم از نور قدم ** از فرح گوید که من بینا شدم

When the blind man is heated by the Light of Eternity, from gladness he says, “I have become seeing.”

سخت خوش مستی ولی ای بوالحسن ** پاره‌ای راهست تا بینا شدن

Thou art mightily well drunken, but, O Bu ’l-Hasan, there is a bit of way (to be traversed ere thou attain) to seeing.

این نصیب کور باشد ز آفتاب ** صد چنین والله اعلم بالصواب505

This is the blind man's portion from the Sun, (and) a hundred such (portions); and God best knoweth what is right.

وآنک او آن نور را بینا بود ** شرح او کی کار بوسینا بود

And he that hath vision of that Light—how should the explanation of him (his state) be a task (within the capacity) of Bú Síná?

ور شود صد تو که باشد این زبان ** که بجنباند به کف پرده‌ی عیان

(Even) if it be hundredfold, who (what) is this tongue that it should move with its hand the veil of (mystical) clairvoyance?

وای بر وی گر بساید پرده را ** تیغ اللهی کند دستش جدا

Woe to it if it touch the veil! The Divine sword severs its hand.

دست چه بود خود سرش را بر کند ** آن سری کز جهل سرها می‌کند

What of the hand? It (the sword) rends off even its (the tongue's) head—the head that from ignorance puts forth many a head (of pride and self-conceit).

این به تقدیر سخن گفتم ترا ** ورنه خود دستش کجا و آن کجا510

I have said this to you, speaking hypothetically; otherwise, indeed, how far is its hand from being able to do that!

خاله را خایه بدی خالو شدی ** این به تقدیر آمدست ار او بدی

Materterae si testiculi essent, ea avunculus esset: this is hypothetical—“if there were.” [(If) in regard to a maternal aunt there were testicles, she would would be a maternal uncle: this is hypothetical—“if there were.”]

از زبان تا چشم کو پاک از شکست ** صد هزاران ساله گویم اندکست

(If) I say that between the tongue and the eye that is free from doubt there is a hundred thousand years' (journey), ’tis little (in comparison with the reality).

هین مشو نومید نور از آسمان ** حق چو خواهد می‌رسد در یک زمان

Now come, do not despair! When God wills, light arrives from heaven in a single moment.

صد اثر در کانها از اختران ** می‌رساند قدرتش در هر زمان

At every instant His power causes a hundred influences from the stars to reach the (subterranean) mines.

اختر گردون ظلم را ناسخست ** اختر حق در صفاتش راسخست515

The star (planet) of heaven deletes the darkness; the star of God is fixed in His Attributes.

چرخ پانصد ساله راه ای مستعین ** در اثر نزدیک آمد با زمین

O thou that seekest help, the celestial sphere, (at a distance) of five hundred years' journey, is in effect nigh unto the earth.

سه هزاران سال و پانصد تا زحل ** دم بدم خاصیتش آرد عمل

’Tis (a journey of) three thousand five hundred years to Saturn; (yet) his special property acts incessantly (upon the earth).

در همش آرد چو سایه در ایاب ** طول سایه چیست پیش آفتاب

He (God) rolls it up like a shadow at the return (of the sun): in the sun's presence what is (what avails) the length of the shadow?

وز نفوس پاک اختروش مدد ** سوی اخترهای گردون می‌رسد

And from the pure star like souls replenishment is ever coming to the stars of heaven.

ظاهر آن اختران قوام ما ** باطن ما گشته قوام سما520

The outward (aspect) of those stars is our ruler, (but) our inward (essence) has become the ruler of the sky.

Explaining that (while) philosophers say that Man is the microcosm, theosophists say that Man is the macrocosm, the reason being that philosophy is confined to the phenomenal form of Man, whereas theosophy is connected with the essential truth of his true nature.

پس به صورت عالم اصغر توی ** پس به معنی عالم اکبر توی

Therefore in form thou art the microcosm, therefore in reality thou art the macrocosm.

ظاهر آن شاخ اصل میوه است ** باطنا بهر ثمر شد شاخ هست

Externally the branch is the origin of the fruit; intrinsically the branch came into existence for the sake of the fruit.

گر نبودی میل و اومید ثمر ** کی نشاندی باغبان بیخ شجر

If there had not been desire and hope of the fruit, how should the gardener have planted the root of the tree?

پس به معنی آن شجر از میوه زاد ** گر به صورت از شجر بودش ولاد

Therefore in reality the tree was born of the fruit, (even) if in appearance it (the fruit) was generated by the tree.